Fruits of Love
by kiako-kohai
Summary: What if more had happened during the Peach dream? What if fate were as cruel as people say it is? Come and join us as we tell a story of lost love, misplaced hate, and the power of wishes.
1. Prolouge

Prologue

Once upon, there was a young girl who in anger, wished her baby brother to the goblins. The Goblin King took the babe, and in pity, gave the girl a chance to win him back. 'You have thirteen hours in which to solve my labyrinth or else your baby brother will be one of us, forever.' In that time the girl made many friends, overcame many obstacles, to finally stand before the king in triumph. Unbeknownst to her, her courage, stubbornness, and defiance had won the heart of the Goblin King. He had fallen in love with her, offered her the world. 'Love me, Fear me, Do as I say and I will be your slave.' But the girl, yet innocent to the world of love, did not understand his plea. In the end she, without ever realizing the king's love, denied him; beating his labyrinth.

But if that were all that had happened we wouldn't have a story would we children?

The time in the ballroom dream had been all but a blur, neither remembered well what all had transpired. The seed of a Fae had been planted; an heir to the throne for, you see the Goblin King was a prince to all the Underground.

The High King had seen all this, and was outraged. A Fae, falling in love with a human. To the Fae, humans were beneath them, they who were as old as the earth. It is against the law to meddle with the mind of another Fae, but the King consoled himself by saying he was only doing what was best for his son. The king took the memories of that night from the two and hid them deep within their own minds.

Now, fifteen years later, a wicked plot in the courts of the Fae will call a young man to the Underground and a young woman once a girl to face the past and her dreams.

Oh, what fun we will have tonight children.


	2. Chapter 1

"How was school today?" Kathy asked.

Jaden paused at the question and turned on the stairs, suppressing a sneer. She asked that every time he came through that door. After six months, it was annoying. He wanted to tell her it was none of her business, that she wasn't his mother but bit his tongue. He had been taught at an early age to mind what he said, especially in anger; words once said can never be taken back.

A tapping sound alerted Jaden that Kathy was getting impatient. The petite brunet was not known for her patience. Frankly, Jaden didn't care. She could tap all she wanted, that wasn't going to make him answer her. Instead he shrugged and kept walking. He could hear the woman's exasperated huff and he had to fight a grin. He didn't know why he loved to get on people's nerves and cause mischief, but he did. It was a rare day when he wasn't pissing off one person or another.

Reaching his room, he breathed a sigh of relief. All day he had been surrounded by noise, insults, and insensitive teachers; it made him want to puke. Still, this wasn't his room, not really. He hadn't had a room of his own in years; not since his mother's disappearance. God, how he missed her. There wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think about her.

Entering the room, Jaden threw his bag in the corner, locked the door, and then sat on the bed. The room was small like all the other rooms in the house. It had a single sized bed, an old desk, dresser, closet and broken down nightstand. To say he got the crapiest room in the house was an understatement. Still, it was a place to sleep at night and it was dry. The walls were bare except for a clock above the door that didn't work. The other kids had posters and toys everywhere in their rooms. Not Jaden. The only things in his room where seven sets of cloths, a teddy bear named Lancelot from when he was little, his mom's laptop, and a few books along with the duffel bag he carried them in. He didn't need anything else. And why get comfortable when he expected to be leaving soon anyway.

Personally, Jaden didn't have anything against the Crawford family. They were generous for opening their home to so may kids in the foster care system. For him though, they were no different than the other families. They take you in, say they care, and boast that they can handle anything you dish out. Then, when they can't handle you, they brush you off onto the next family. Jaden sighed as he counted how many homes he had been placed in in the last eight years. Twelve. He would have laughed if it weren't so damn depressing, and all because his asshole grandparents wanted nothing to do with him.

Flopping back on the bed, Jaden tried to push those angering thoughts to the side. Staring at the ceiling, Jaden let his mind wonder back to a time when he had actually been happy. Back to when his mother had still been there.

Sarah had been his hero. At fifteen she had gotten pregnant after going to a party with a friend. A guy there had spiked her coke and she didn't remember anything after that. Her parents had called her a whore and kicked her out on the street with only what she could carry saying bull like she was a bad influence on their son. They didn't even care that she had been raped. The entire time she had been pregnant with him and for the first year of his life, she had been homeless. Still she managed to graduate from high school, work at a local daycare, and find an apartment to rent. His first memories were of his mother working day in and day out to provide for him. Jaden chuckled under his breath at the memory of his mother acting out his bed time story while she read to him every night. His favorite had been a story about a girl who had wished her baby brother to the goblins and her adventure to get him back. He had always felt that there was more to that story; like she was leaving out something important.

He knew Sarah had always wanted to be an actor. Because of him, she had never had the chance. Sarah had never let him think, for one moment, that she blamed him for anything. Closing his eyes, he could almost hear his mother say, "You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you more than anything and I am glad I have you. Besides, you are the best audience I could ever have." Her voice would always comfort him.

Jaden was pulled out of his recollections by his alarm going off. 7 o'clock; time to get ready. Jaden had a job tonight. Sighing, he got up and headed to his closet and pulled out his leather jacket. He loved leather. If he could he would wear it everywhere, but leather was expensive and he could only afford the one. Jaden went to the bathroom and paused at his reflection.

His appearance had always caused him trouble. People called him a freak. His hair color was nothing special, but the way it stood in different directions was weird. It defied gravity. He kept it long so that he could pull it in a ponytail; help it stay down, but some always found their way out. His eyes weren't so easy to fix; two different shades of green; the left an emerald the right, a dark leaf green. He usually wore sunglasses when in public, but nothing could hide his upswept eyebrows that had an oddly glittery sheen to the eyelids. He had scrubbed for hours when he was little trying to get it to come off after a kid had made fun of him at school. Curling his lip, Jaden examined his teeth, which had a sharp, predator look to them. His canine's where the sharpest. When he bared his teeth, he looked like a wild animal. He didn't even want to think about his pointed ears. They looked like the ears on a mall elf at Christmas. Nothing he could do about that.

He sighed. Whoever his father was, he must look bizarre. Jaden had always known that he looked like his dad. The only thing he had gotten from his mom was her coloring. _I'm the spitting image of my mother's worst nightmare_, he thought with contempt.

The weirdest part was that he was only fourteen and already six feet tall with the body of a football receiver; tall, lean, and muscled. His fifteenth birthday was a month away, but still. He looked like a twenty year old; although that did come in handy with his work. Mentally shaking himself, Jaden finish his business, and then headed downstairs for the back door.

He never left out the front door to go to work. The Crawford's would never approve of the work he did. But it was good money and one of the few things he was excellent at. He was just about to the door when he heard the peal of doom.

"Jaden Lucan Williams!"


	3. Chapter 2

The chains rattled as Sarah pulled them taut, trying to pull the bolts from the wall. She had been at it for who knew how long. Her fingers were raw and bloody from the effort. The bolts were as solid as the day she had been locked in this hell hole. Giving up, Sarah slumped to the floor in exhaustion. What would it take to get out of here? She knew the answers to that, and she wasn't willing to do either of them. She felt tears threaten as she looked around at her situation, but like all the others, she never let them fall.

She was stronger than that.

Sarah thought back on what had gotten her to this place. She should have never wished Toby away. But how was she to know that by beating the Goblin King's Labyrinth she was putting herself on a hit list in the Underground. She could feel the old anger boil. This was all **His** fault. If he hadn't taken Toby and gotten her involved none of this would have happened.

Sarah sighed, her anger dying. She knew the truth. It had been her fault that Toby was taken. She had been a spoiled brat that didn't appreciate what she had and Jareth had done nothing wrong. He couldn't control what his enemies did or how they perceived a situation and he had only done what she had asked him to do. If only she had known to be on guard.

She had been at home, waiting for Jaden to get off the bus. Jaden. He had to be fifteen or sixteen by now; she wasn't sure. She had lost count of the days down here. She was making him a snack when the lights flickered. The next thing she knew, a hand was covering her mouth, stifling her scream. She had fought but to no avail. Soon, she had blacked out and when she woke up, she was here.

The cell was small, only big enough for about two or three people to stand side by side each way. The ceiling was about five feet high, not like she could stand. Her hands where chained to the wall, the shackles connected to the wall by three foot chains. From what she could tell they looked like rusted iron. Her wrists were bloody and sore from years of struggle and confinement. The only way into the cell was through the door in the bars across from her. She was tired, dirty, and hurt. More than anything she wanted to go home.

The next few years had been pain, interrogations, and humiliation. A man, or really Fae, named Dominick, who said he was Jareth's cousin, kept demanding to know where her son was. Apparently, he couldn't see Jaden for some reason. But it was the reason Dominick wanted them that was the real shocker. Sarah thought back on that conversation.

"'Where is the boy?' Dominick demanded for the umpteenth time.

'Why? What do you want with us?' Sarah shot back, glaring at him.

He laughed. He actually laughed in her face. 'You don't know the importance of your son do you?'

'What are you talking about?'

'Your son is the Heir to High Throne and the Goblin Kingdom. He is Jareth's first born son!'

Sarah could think of nothing to retort she was so silenced with shock. 'That's not possible,' she finally whispered.

'Oh but it is. You see your memory of the event was erased, but I was able to find a record of the spell that was used. All magic is recorded in the Underground, every trip to the Aboveground as well, but I found a way around that. The father of your son is Jareth and I want him. Now you will tell me where he is!' He emphasized by slapping her. Sarah tasted blood.

'Never!' She stared defiantly at her captor. If what he said was true, then Jareth really had loved her. The things he had said at the end of her trials had been real. Who would do this? Who would wipe their memories of how they had loved each other? Dominick grabbed her hair, forcing her face up. 'You will tell me, but until them,' he paused, an evil grin on his face as he reached behind him to pull out a huge knife, "we can have some fun.' "

Sarah clenched her eyes shut and shuttered, blanching at the next part of that memory. Every day was the same; he came in, asked her the same question, tortured her when she wouldn't answer, then had one of his healers make her whole again. Every few days he took her out of her cell to have her publicly tortured in front of his court. From what Sarah could see he was the king of Ogres. That explained a lot.

The first few weeks she had screamed for Jareth to come; screamed for anyone to rescue her. When no one came, she gave up calling for help and started trying to escape on her own. Some days she thought of just giving up, but every time she thought that, she thought of Jaden waiting for her to come home. She use to tell him stories about the Labyrinth and how she had stood defiantly before the Goblin King.

Sarah's eyes softened and filled with tears again as she remembered how Jaden use to act out the stories with her. Or how he would get that defiant look in his eyes and stiffen his lip when he was in trouble, but didn't want to admit it. Thinking about it, she could see the resemblance between Jaden and Jareth. Their eyes were both mismatched, their hair stood on end in every which way, and they both loved music. Jaden was considered a musical genius by the time he was four. He was her little miracle.

She thought of him every time she felt the urge to give up, every time she wanted to give in she thought of her brave little boy and somehow found the will to keep going.

The sound of footsteps on stone brought Sarah out of her revere. Was it morning already? God, she wished the sun would never rise. Bracing herself, she watched as the door opened and a torch was pushed into the room. The light blinded her momentarily, making her flutter her eyes. When they adjusted, she looked up to see her living nightmare standing before her.

"Hello Sarah. How are you today? Are we going to find out where that son of yours is?" Dominick said with that sick smile on his face.

"Go to Hell," Sarah spat.

Dominick laughed. "I see we are in a rebellious mode today. We are going to have some fun today."

All Sarah could do was stare defiantly at him and brace herself for what was to come.


	4. Chapter 3

Moses 3

Jareth sat on his throne in a lazy, casual manner. One leg was thrown over an armrest, his riding crop tapping a slow staccato on his thigh. All around him, the goblins partied, drank ale and sang. Some of them were so intoxicated, they couldn't even stand. The noise its self was enough to wake the dead. But Jareth didn't see or hear any of this. His mind was elsewhere; fifteen years in the past with a defiant young girl. Since then, Jareth had gone over the events of that day over and over again in his mind, trying to figure out what he could have done differently. What he could have said to change her mind.

One part of him was enraged that she would dare to spurn the affections of the Goblin King. The other, more calm part, kept telling him that she had been only a child; unable to understand his advances. But that side did not offer any kind of solace to the pain in his heart. He did not even have the comfort of watching her in his crystals. Those accursed words "_You have no power over me"_. They prevented him from having anything to do with her. He had no power over her, therefor; he could not interfere, or observe any aspect of her life. In one fell swoop, she had killed any hope of a second chance.

The sound of the main doors opening brought Jareth out of his revere. A Royal messenger entered. Jareth suppressed a groan. His father had been trying to get him to court for the last decade. Every time he went he introduced Jareth to women of the court, hoping he would marry one of them. Why couldn't his father understand that Jareth didn't want to marry one of those snobs? Someone he didn't love.

"Your Majesty, the king has requested your presence at the high court for the annual All Hallows Eve Ball," the messenger said in a regal tone. The messenger held his head high, keeping his nose pointed up, as if to say, he didn't deem this worthy of his time. It could also be taken as saying that the Fae thought himself better than a king. Jareth was not in the mood for this snobbish fool. How dare the ingrate show such disrespect to one of his betters! The rude little bug didn't even knock before entering the throne room; nor did he bow before speaking. Jareth was one second away from throwing the poor fool into the Bog of Eternal Stench. The goblins, aware of their king's bad mood, wisely scurried into hiding places. The messenger was not so smart. Jareth stood and walked slowly to the messenger. The idiot didn't even have the wit to look scared. What he wanted to do was yell at the Fae and toss him into the bog, but that would be disrespectful to his father, so instead he said in a neutral voice, "Tell my father that I have many pressing matters to attend to and that I will come if I am able." That was a diplomatic reply.

"Yes, Your Majesty." And the messenger flashed out of the throne room. Jareth sighed before he flashed himself to his study, locked the door, and let his pent up frustration free. The ensuing madness left the study in shambles. Books flew from shelves, vases shattered, and furniture crashed into walls.

When he was calm again, he righted the room and flopped down into his favorite chair. He couldn't avoid the High Court forever, he knew that. But he didn't want to have to face his parents just yet. Call it childish, but staying away was better than saying or doing something he might regret later. Maybe in another century he would finally be able to face them, but right now he was still too sore about Sarah to face his father's pestering.

Jareth wondered, as he did sometimes, what Sarah was up to, how her life was; if she had married and started a family. That thought stung more than Jareth would have liked it to. He didn't like the thought of another man holding Sarah in his arms at night; or of her baring any children but his own. The thought truly infuriated him. What infuriated him more however was the fact that he could still be hurt by this girl after so many years. He did everything he could think of to rid his mind of those poisoning thoughts. And yet, the thoughts plagued him night and day.

Closing his eyes, Jareth imagined what it would have been like if Sarah had said yes. He could just see her in her wedding dress, the dress she had worn in the peach dream.

He could see her round and glowing with the miracle of their child. He could see her holding a little girl with green eyes and brown hair with a small blue eyed boy hanging onto her dress. He could see her in the garden smelling the roses and feel her in his arms as he made love to her in their bed.

Such sad dreams that would never come true.

Opening his eyes, Jareth was forced to face reality once more. Sarah was not in his arms. She was never going to be his wife; never going to dance through his gardens, or fill his castle with her laughter. Sarah was out of his reach forever, and the sooner he accepted that, the sooner he could move on with his life. But no matter how many times he told himself that, he couldn't put the defiant young woman out of his mind.

Suddenly, Jareth felt a dull pain in the base of his skull. He hissed at the pain; more out of surprise than real pain. Jareth knew that feeling all too well. He was being Summoned. For a moment, he considered ignoring it as he did with some of the less demanding of summons, but this one was not going away. This summons was going to be heard and he knew that the longer he waited the more painful it was going to get.

Sighing, Jareth stood and allowed the magic of the summons to change his attire into that of the fearsome Goblin King. It was similar to the cloths he had worn when he faced Sarah, but there were some alterations. The shirt didn't dip so low, revealing less of his chest, and the britches weren't nearly as revealing. Also, his sword was strapped to his waist and he had on a bit more leather armor. This meant the runner was a male.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the up-coming confrontation, Jareth allowed his arrogant facade to fall into place as he flashed to the room where the summoner would be. One thing that had not changed in the last fifteen years was Jareth's ability to arrive in style.


	5. Chapter 4

Moses 5

_This is not my day_, thought Jaden as he took another punch to the face. Jaden's head snapped to the right from the force and he could taste the blood in his mouth. The two guys holding his arms swayed under the weight as Jaden's knees finally buckled. How had he gotten here?

He had been heading out to go to work earlier that night when Kathy Crawford had stopped him.

"Where do you think you are going?" she demanded.

Jaden turned slowly to face her. He could see the rest of the house-hold steadily coming from the kitchen to watch the show. Kids never can stay away when they know someone is getting in trouble. He could hear the older boys making jokes that he was going to get his.

"Well?" she asked again, losing patience. Now Michael was coming over; Jaden didn't need that.

"I'm just going out for a bit," he said in a quiet voice.

"Where?" asked Michael. He had a very baritone voice that gave his words an unsettling power. That and the man was over six feet tall and worked as a construction worker.

"Out," he reiterated. Jaden was reluctant to reveal that he was on his way to a gang war. He was pretty sure they already knew where he was going and just wanted to make him stop cold turkey. He didn't want them to try and stop him, but he also didn't want them to worry or get angry with him. Fighting was how he earned a living; it was also how he coped with how shity his life had become.

"That is not an answer young man, now where are you going at this time of night?" Michael demanded.

Jaden didn't know what to do to get out of this predicament. On the one hand, he could tell them the truth and get grounded; on the other he could lie and then feel like shit later. His mother would be disappointed in him if he lied though and he never could disappoint her.

"I'm going out to a fight," he told them. As expected, they reacted badly.

"What?" shrieked Kathy.

"Like Hell you are!" bellowed Michael.

Closing his eyes, Jaden took a deep breath to keep himself calm. He had been taught at a very young age that angry retorts and quick words never solved a problem. Opening his eyes, he gave them a hard glare that silenced the two in mid-rant. Once, he had been told that he had the eyes of Satan. Well if he did, he was going to use them to the best of his ability.

"This is what I do. You knew that before you took me in. It's in my file. I'll be back in a few hours. Don't wait up. You gave me a key so I can get in. This is my work. I mean no disrespect, but I've been doing this for too long to stop now". Their eyes were wide in shock; their mouths hanging open. Behind them, he could see Jason seethe with fury. Jason was Kathy and Michael's son. He was tall with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and wide shoulders. He was a member of the football team; a senior with a short temper. Shrugging it off Jaden turned and headed out the door.

The fight had gone without a hitch. The gang he had been hired by had been cowards, hiding behind anything they could. No wonder why they hired someone else to do their fighting for them. Jaden figured they were a new gang trying to steal territory. Jaden didn't care about that; all he cared about was getting paid. The other gang hadn't been any braver. He had walked right up to them, bullets flying all around him, and had taken them out one by one. Somehow, Jaden was able to see the trajectory of anything thrown at him and react instantaneously. He didn't know how, but he could totally take advantage of it.

It wasn't till he got back to the house that he had screwed up. He had let his guard down, something he never did. Jaden had just walked into his room when he was jumped from behind, a piece of tape slapped over his mouth. Next thing he knows, he's getting the shit beat out of him.

Now, looking up through swollen eyes, he could see Jason looming over him. Out of the corner of his right eye, he could see Tom, a foster kid, holding his right arm. Jaden couldn't see out of his left eye to see who had that arm, but he suspected it was Robert, another foster kid. Both were also on the football team and both were Jason's little henchmen.

"Look at the scary thug now boys," Jason sneered, "Isn't so tuff when he's on his knees."

"_Ain't so tuff on your knees are you brat?" _Jaden gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He hated those words. He had heard them before and they made him feel so weak. It was all he could do to keep from roaring his fury. But he wasn't going to give this asshole the satisfaction of knowing that he had gotten to him.

Jaden glared at Jason from behind his bangs. His hair had come out of its ponytail to hang in his face and around his shoulders. Not for the first time he wished that his hair didn't stand on end so he could cut it. He heard Robert snicker before saying, "Hey Jason, lets mess with him a bit."

"Let's trash his stuff!" Tom piped up.

Jaden stiffened. Everything he owned was all that he had left of his mom, including the only picture he had left of her. Everything else he had had to leave at their home and his loathsome grandparents had sold everything. He had only been able to save a few things from his old life. Jaden could feel his rage build. These bastards were sadly mistaken if they thought he was just going to sit back and let them destroy the only connection he had left to his mom.

"That sounds like a good idea," said Jason as he picked up one of Jaden's books. Without any warning he began ripping it apart. Jaden struggled against the hold on him, horror and fury filling him at Jason's actions. If he could just get his hands on Jason, the son of a bitch wouldn't be breathing for very much long.

When Jason got to a red leather book, he paused. Looking closely, Jaden read the title and felt panic begin to creep in. It was _The Labyrinth_; his mother's favorite book. She used to read it to him every night.

Opening the book, Jason read a bit and then started laughing softly. If he laughed too loudly, he would risk waking Kathy and Michael. "Guys, the thug still reads fairy tales. Listen to this, listen to this. 'But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl…'" Jason moved back toward Jaden still chuckling under his breath. Ripping the tape from Jaden's mouth, he backhanded him before Jaden could say anything. Jaden clenched his jaw to keep from hissing in pain. "Let's hear you read some thug." Jaden just glared at him.

Jason didn't like being disobeyed, so when Jaden didn't start reading he grabbed Jaden's hair. Too late, Jaden realized what he intended to do as he felt more than saw Tom and Robert let go. Jason quickly slammed Jaden's head into the floor. A searing pain in his face blinded Jaden and he knew with certainty that his nose was broken.

"Read, damn it!"

Jaden could hear his own shallow breaths. If he didn't want to get his face bashed in again, he was going to have to do what Jason said. Looking at the page, Jaden saw a sentence that his mom had told him to never say aloud. Jaden smirked. He figured reading it would really piss Jason and the other two off. And Jaden never could resist pissing people off.

"I wish the goblins… would come and… take you… all away… right now" Jaden wheezed. It was getting hard to breath. The next thing he knew, Jason, Tom, and Robert were gone. All Jaden could hear was the sound of the wind picking up outside, tree limbs scrapping his window, and his own labored breaths. Pulling himself up on his hands and knees, Jaden looked around with his one good eye, but there was no sign of them. _What the hell!_ A sound by his bed made him turn, another sound by the dresser, then another; coming from all around him. It was like they were coming from every which way; little giggles and snickers; the sounds of feet scurrying across the floor. Jaden couldn't see anything, just shadows moving across the walls, no matter how fast he turned.

Suddenly, Jaden's window burst open and a barn owl flew right at him. Jaden threw up his hands on instinct. When he lowered them again, it was no owl in his room, but a man in leather armor, a cape, and the spikiest blond hair Jaden had ever seen.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Jaden eyeing the sword at the mysterious man's side, "and where're Jason and the others?"

"You know very well who I am" the man said taking a few steps closer to where Jaden sat. Realization dawned on Jaden like a bucket of cold water. It couldn't be. "You're the Goblin King. My God; you're real."

**Tell me what you think. What could be improved and what you like or don't like about the story. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 5

"Where are the others?" the boy demanded, doing his best to stand and look brave. He was doing a pretty good job of it too, even though Jareth knew it was costing him greatly. Jareth took a moment to consider the boy. He was tall, thin, and battered. His hair was unusually long for a boy, hanging around his shoulders in a wispy fashion. Jareth could hardly see his face through all the blood and bruises. His left eye was swollen shut, his nose bleed profusely, a trail of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth and there was a steady stream of blood coming down his right temple. Those other boys sure did a number on him. The boy could barely strand, yet he stood with no fear before The Goblin King.

"You know very well where they are." Jareth said.

The Underground. Jareth could see the links click together in the boys mind. The boy's good eye narrowed dangerously, "Bring them back!"

Jareth was stunned. The boy acted as if Jareth had taken a precious loved one instead of three vicious bullies. Jareth had very well saved his life and the boy wanted those brutes back?

"Forget about them Jaden," the boys name coming to Jareth through the wish, "go tend your wounds. Read your books and forget the boys."

"Would if I could, but they weren't mine to wish away."

Jareth contemplated the child before him, for indeed a child he was. At first glance he looked to be a young man in his prime, but on further inspection Jareth could see otherwise. There was still a touch innocent youth in the boy's battered face. This boy was probably about fifteen or sixteen years old, yet he held himself like he was a grown man.

"And don't insult me by trying to divert my attention with one of your crystals. I won't be swayed."

Jareth raised an eyebrow in surprise. How did he know about Jareth's crystals? "Are you sure? I could offer you your dreams Jaden." Jareth formed a crystal on his fingertips and held it out to Jaden.

"Not a chance." Jaden said with conviction.

Jareth knew that trying to scare the boy probably wouldn't work, so he let the crystal dissolve.

"You're no match for me Jaden."

"Want a bet?" Jaden put his fists up, preparing to fight. The boy had guts, or was it just arrogance? For some reason, this boy awakened Jareth's competitive spirit. Jareth grinned. He hadn't had a good game in years and maybe this boy would be a good challenge.

"Very well then. Let's make a bet shall we? They are there, in my castle," Jareth turned and pointed out the window. When Jaden went to look where he was pointing, Jareth transported them to the hill just outside the labyrinth where all runners started. It was a beautiful view of the labyrinth showing all its twists and turns yet never revealing the many traps and creatures that resided inside.

Jaden stared in awe.

"If you can solve my labyrinth in under thirteen hours I will return those boys. If not, then all four of you will become one of us; Forever.

"Deal," Jaden said without hesitation and took off for the wall.

Jareth remained on the hill for a moment watching the retreating form of this new runner. The boy had no fear of failure. He was so confident that he would win that he didn't even consider the dangers that might be lurking ahead; it irked Jareth. He was going to have to knock this kid down a few pegs. That would teach this arrogant child just who he was dealing with.

Jareth transported himself back to the Throne room. The goblins where trying to entertaining the three boys who coward in the pit in the middle. They were not succeeding. Jareth bit back a sneer. These worms were what Jaden was fighting to get back. They didn't even look like they would make good goblins let alone decent human beings. The oldest whimpered as a goblin got to close in its merry making and Jareth could not hide his contempt this time. They were pathetic. Waving his hand, Jareth sent the boys to an oubliette where they would be out of the way and out of his sight.

Plopping down in his throne, Jareth took a moment to relax by laying his head back and stretching his neck before he conjured a crystal to watch the runner.

He was just making it to the outer wall where Hoggle stood guard and as usual the little toad was peeing in the pond again. He would have to have an out house built out there for the dwarf. The little bug was destroying that pond.

Jaden approached the dwarf, clearing his throat to get Hoggle's attention.

"Oh, eh, excuse me." Hoggle quickly finished and turned. "Oh. It's you," he said dismissively, then picked up his spray can. Jareth found it amusing that the dwarf seemed to be doing the same exact thing every time a runner approached him outside the walls. Apparently, he was going to have to give the dwarf more to do if Hoggle was that bored.

"Do you know how to get into the Labyrinth?" asked Jaden.

"Maybe," said Hoggle as he stalked a fairy. They never did any harm unless you were foolish enough to pick them up or swat at them, but Hoggle found it entertaining to see how many he could fell. The spray didn't hurt the fairies so Jareth saw no reason to stop him. "32," Hoggle mumbled as one dropped like a stone.

Jareth paused as a blank mask slid into place on Jaden's face. Jaden slowly walked over to the fairy, his hands in his pockets, and bent at the waist. Fairies were basically small Fae with wings that looked to be a cross between a butterfly and a dragonfly. They came in many shapes and colors. Jareth reasoned that Jaden was examining his first fairy.

"Was there a reason you did that?" Jaden asked in a dead tone.

"Uh, did what?" Hoggle noticed the change in Jaden's voice as well and slowly turned to look back at him, fear plain in his eyes.

"Was there a reason you sprayed her?" Jaden turned his head to be able to look at Hoggle and the glint in his eye made the dwarf physically shake.

"Uh, n-n-not really," Hoggle stuttered.

Jaden straightened. Slowly, he walked to Hoggle and grabbed the spray can out of the dwarfs shaking hands. "Were they hurting anything?"

"N-n-no"

Jaden chunked the spray can, the thing disappearing over a nearby hill. "Then you don't need that. Now, how do I get into the Labyrinth?" Jaden's face was once again calm, his voice friendly. Jareth was stunned by what he had just seen. Jaden had looked like he was going to beat the living daylights out of Hoggle, then the next minute he was acting like a friendly acquaintance. There was something odd about this boy; a predator that hid beneath the surface waiting for its prey. Jareth was forced to reassess his decision to let this boy into his domain.

Hoggle pointed silently to the doors that appeared in the wall and Jaden wasted no time in entering only to stop dead in his tracks. He was at the inner wall, the passages stretching for miles in each direction with no visible turns.

"So, which way you going to go?" Hoggle reluctantly and shyly asked.

Jaden turned to look at him, and then looked both ways. "Which way would you go?"

"Me? I wouldn't go either way." He replied, seeming to get some of his courage back.

Jaden considered this, then snapped his fingers making poor Hoggle jump. Jaden searched through his pockets until he found what he was looking for; a coin. "Head's I go left, tails I go right," and tossed it up. Jaden caught it then slapped it onto his other hand. He removed his hand to show the coin had landed on tails. "Right it is," and he headed down the right passage.

Then, he stopped, as if he had just remembered something. "Hey, dwarf!" he shouted, stopping Hoggle as he made to leave. "Eh, What?" Hoggle asked nervously.

"I didn't catch your name."

Hoggle was stunned; he hadn't expected this runner to ask his name. "Uh, it's Hoggle."

"Thanks for the help Hoggle. Sorry about your spray can." And with that, Jaden walked away, leaving a shocked Hoggle in his wake.

Jareth was baffled by this exchange and reluctantly, a bit unsure he had made a wise decision in accepting this bet.

**I wanted Jaden to follow his mom's trip as closely as possible, but you know, every kid must one day leave the nest. So tell me which way you think Jaden should go once he reaches the Worm. I am going to need lots of reviews you guys!**


	7. Chapter 6

Moses 5

There was just no end to this! For the fifth time in the last couple minutes, Jaden had to stop to catch his breath. He was sure now that he had a broken rib; it hurt too much to breath. Looking up, Jaden felt his confidence wane. There were no turns in this thing, how can it be called a Labyrinth?

Sliding down the wall, Jaden closed his eyes. He knew he didn't have time to rest, but he needed it if he was going to make it any further. Not for the first time since getting here Jaden wondered why he was even doing this. He owed those boys nothing; they had beaten the hell out of him. Why was he risking his freedom for them? Then he remembered something his mother had said once when he was little.

"_Mom? Why did she try to get her brother back? Wasn't he mean to her?" Jaden asked sleepily. His mother fixed the covers around him as he hugged his teddy bear Lancelot tighter. "Well, she realized that it hadn't been her right to wish him away. She also knew that people would miss him if he disappeared. So for the first time, the girl thought of others and rescued her brother."_

Thought of others, huh? Well, their parents would miss them. Jaden guessed that was a good enough reason to get them back. He was about to get up when a small voice said "'ello". Looking around, Jaden couldn't see anyone. Thinking it was his imagination he started to get up, only to hear the voice again. "I said 'ello." Jaden finally noticed the little caterpillar with a red scarf looking up at him from a ledge on the wall. Jaden figured he should be freaking out, but he was in too much pain to care. Besides, he had just seen a dwarf spray a fairy with a spray can; why not a talking worm.

"Oh. Sorry, I couldn't see you."

"That's alright. Why don't you come inside and have a cup a tea."

Jaden wasn't sure how that would work, but he didn't have time to find out. "Sorry, but I have to get to the center of this Labyrinth. Do you know were a turn is in this passage way?"

"Sure, this place is full of turns. Just go to that wall."

_Well, I have nothing to lose_ Jaden thought as he got up and walked forward. When he would have run into the wall, he passed right through. Jaden felt like such an idiot; an optical illusion. _Never take anything for granted._

"Thanks," Jaden said, turning to go left.

"No, no, not that way!" the caterpillar cried.

Jaden looked back, confused. "Why?"

"That way leads straight to the castle. You don't want to go there. Why don't you come inside and meet the Misses instead."

Jaden raised one eyebrow. If he hadn't asked, he was sure the caterpillar wouldn't have given him an explanation. "Sorry, but the castle is where I need to get to. Thanks for the help."

Jaden continued down the left passage, making a couple of twists and turns until he came to a junk yard. Jaden was amazed by what he saw. As far as he could see there was nothing but junk; furniture, toys, clothes, everything you could think of. He had never seen so much stuff in his life. In the distance, he could see the Goblin City and the castle at the center. It looked just as his mom had described it in her stories.

He was so engrossed in the view that he didn't hear the footsteps until they were right behind him. On instinct, he spun, ready to pulverize whatever had been dumb enough to sneak-up behind him. He froze with his fist mere inches away from a petrified Hoggle's face. Jaden immediately straightened. "Hoggle?"

"Uh… Just, cumin' to see how you was doin'."

Jaden didn't believe that for a second. Most likely he was here as an obstacle, meaning he was in the right path. Jaden started walking without really acknowledging Hoggle. Hoggle, not knowing what else to do, followed. After a while, the silence got the better of Hoggle and he asked, "So why you runnin' the Labyrinth for?"

Jaden glanced back at Hoggle over his shoulder, never slowing his pace. He debated whether it was wise to talk in length with the dwarf or to just remain silent. What if it was a trick? Finally, he decided there was no harm in a conversation and answered, "I wished away my foster brothers. I'm running to get them back."

"They the ones what did that to ya?"

"Yeah," Jaden replied reluctantly, unconsciously wrapping his arm around his sour ribs.

"So then why are you tryin' to save them?" Hoggle asked in bewilderment, "I would think you'd want nothin' more ta do with them."

For a long time, Jaden said nothing. Then finally he said, "My mom once told me that no one has the right to wish way another person."

"Your mom?"

"Yeah. She taught me to never say things in anger because once you say something, you can never take it back," Jaden glanced back, "I said something I shouldn't have said, even in jest. Getting them back is the only way I can atone. Besides, my mom would be upset with me if she found out about this whole little incident."

Hoggle considered this boy for a moment, noticing the way he carried himself (even though he was limping badly) with confidence, the way he spoke with care, and the glint of defiance and mischief in his eye. "What's your name?"

Jaden hesitated a moment before answering, "Jaden Williams."

Hoggle froze in shock. He had heard that correctly, right? _Williams?_ It couldn't be! "You wouldn't by chance be related to a Sarah Williams would you?"

Jaden stopped. No one had said his mother's name in years. Plus, how did Hoggle know his mother's name? Staring at Hoggle in complete surprise he turned completely and asked "How do you know my mom's name?"

Jaden noticed two things at once in that instance: Hoggle staring above his head and heavy footsteps stopping right behind him. He turned just in time to see a giant club coming down at him before it connected with his middle. Hoggle could only stare in horror as Jaden was sent flying, smashing through three piles of junk before slamming into a forth. Jaden felt bone shatter, the air leave his lungs, and blood quickly replacing it. He crumbled to the ground in a pile of agony, coughing up large amounts of blood. _What the hell just hit me?_ He struggled to raise his head, his body already starting to shut down in shock. But when he focused on what had hit him, he wished that he hadn't.

An ogre, ten feet tall was making its way toward him. It had small red eyes, four large fangs that protruded from its mouth, green skin, and drool coming out of the corner of its mouth. It had huge bulging muscles, dressed in only a loincloth, and sporting a club as big around as Jaden. One of the ugliest things he had ever seen. Jaden struggled to focus on the monster that was surely coming to kill him; his vision was getting blurry and he couldn't breathe. The ogre had a hungry look on its face as it bent down and picked Jaden up. One finger on either side of Jaden's head and under his arms, the ogre lifted him up till he was level with the creatures face. Jaden more felt than saw the ogre set down its club to grab his legs and turn him to the side.

The next thing Jaden knew, an unimaginable pain erupted in his right side as four knives cut into him. The pain was so intense that Jaden couldn't keep from releasing a bloodcurdling scream.

The sound of Jaden's scream shook Hoggle out of his fear induced stupor. Hoggle saw the ogre biting into Jaden, eating him alive. If he didn't do something soon, that monster was going to devour Jaden. Grabbing the first thing he laid his hands on, Hoggle chunked it at the ogre's head. The ogre turned sharply at the interruption of his meal, in the process ripping a large chunk of flesh out of Jaden.

"P-P-Pick on s-someone y-your own size," Hoggle stated in fear.

The ogre dropped Jaden, who crumbled to the ground and lay motionless. Hoggle could only stare in wide eyed horror as the ogre slowly moved toward him, still chewing. The next thing he knew, there was an arrow protruding out of the beast's neck. Hoggle turned to where the arrow would have come from and nearly cried in relief.

The Royal Guard had arrived.


	8. Chapter 7

Moses 4

The silence that permeated the throne room was torturous to the fun loving goblins. They were used to singing, dancing, and getting loud. They were used to chasing chickens and getting drunk. Hell, they were even used to getting kicked out windows and dumped into the Bog of Eternal Stench. They were not, however, used to the tension and anger that virtually rolled off their monarch as he paced.

Jareth, for his part, was completely unaware of the unease he was creating with his foul mood. He was too busy trying to figure out the new runner that was in his labyrinth. He had watched the boy –what was his name? –for a few moments until he had gotten bored. The boy was still in the passage way. He had had to stop every few steps to catch his breath, reiterating that he was hurt pretty bad and in fact in pain. Judging by his progress, Jareth figured he would never even make it into the labyrinth its self. What puzzled Jareth was: 1. the boy running in the first place, and 2. what had been that little outburst at the entrance? He knew of only hardened fighters that acted that way, but they acted murderous and dangerous all the time. The boy had gone from friendly to kill mode to friendly again in the length of a heartbeat. Was the boy insane? And if so, what in the Aboveground could make him that way?

The other goblins looked to the door when they heard running footsteps approaching the throne room. Silently, they urged whatever goblin was coming not to open the doors. The last thing they needed was for their king to get even angrier. Their prayers went unanswered as a goblin came running in, right into the legs of the temper mental king. All the goblins held a collective breath as they waited for the worst.

Jareth looked down, his pent up frustration coming to a head. He was about the let loose on the poor creature when it cried, "An Ogre is in the Labyrinth!" Jareth's words froze in his throat. An ogre was a nasty creature that lived on carnage. If one was in his labyrinth, there was no telling what damage it could do.

"Where?" Jareth demanded harshly.

"In the junk fields my Lord."

"Summon the Royal Guard!" Jareth shouted, assuming a mask of complete Kingly authority. The goblins wasted no time in doing as they were told. They knew very well the danger an ogre posed to the labyrinth. They also knew that ogre's loved to eat goblins.

Jareth teleported to his chambers to quickly grab his sword, then flashed to the courtyard just as his guards arrived, ready for battle. The guard consisted of nothing but Fae, each one highly skilled and trusted. All Fae kings had two guards; one made only of Fae and one made only of their kingdom's subjects. The first was for personal protection and times such as this. The latter was for incidents inside each individual kingdom that pertained to their subjects.

Jareth turned to his captain who said, "The goblin passed us on the way to you Sire. My men have spotted it and await your orders."

Jareth wasted no time in heading for the gates, "Let's go." They teleported to just outside the gates and had to walk from there. If they teleported to the creature they could over shoot by mistake, or land too far away and loose the element of surprise.

Several moments later, they came upon the monster advancing on that worm Hoggle. Jareth had the men hide behind heaps of junk so as not to be spotted just yet. Jareth saw blood dripping from its lips, his own going cold; it had already attacked someone. The captain signaled one of the archers to fire and it released an arrow that landed in the creature's neck. It turned slowly and in its confusion they charged, bringing it down easily. Ogre's were not very bright creatures; cut at the backs of its legs and the thing went down just like anything else. They wasted no time in decapitating it, making sure it was good and dead. Jareth stared down at the creature in vexation. How the hell had it even gotten in? Jareth gave orders for the carcass to be burned and for them to find how it had gotten in. Jareth was going to have to write a letter to his cousin Dominick to tell him his ogres were wandering outside his domain. Jareth looked to Hoggle, who was still in a state of shock and sighed. The poor creature was probably terrified out of his senses.

"Hogwart, what the devil are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be at the entrance?"

The sound of Jareth's voice seemed to knock Hoggle out of his. He gasped as he remembered something and looked to the right. "Jaden!" he shouted, moving quickly for such a short legged creature.

Jareth turned in the direction Hoggle started running toward and felt his breath catch in his lungs to choke him. The boy lay in a puddle of his own blood some twenty feet away; not breathing and unmoving. Blood came out of his nose and mouth, as well as a large hole in his side. Hoggle bent over the boy and put his ear to the boy's chest, to see if he still breathed. Some of the guard went to his aid, trying to stop the bleeding and make sure his heart was beating. Jareth couldn't move. How could he have let this happen? How did he not know the boy was so close to the castle? He had only looked away for a few moments.

Now the boy lay dying.

"My Lord, the boy still lives, but just barely. What should we do?"

Jareth snapped out of his personal pity fest and went into King Mode once again. He'd be damned if he let a runner die while in his Labyrinth. "Get him to the healers immediately!"

"Yes Sir."

Two guards moved to either side of Jaden and as gently as possible picked him up, disappearing once they had a good hold on him. Hoggle saw something fall out of Jaden's coat pocket, watching as it landed in the blood face down. Curious, he picked it up; it was a picture. It was hard to make out thru all the blood, but it looked like a young woman with a very small boy. Hoggle realized that it must be a picture of Jaden and his mother. And Jaden's mother was…

"What do you have there Hogbrain?"

Hoggle looked up to see Jareth standing in front of him and took a startled step back. Jareth had seen Hoggle pick the thing up, the action piquing his curiosity. "Uh… nothing," the dwarf said, trying to hide the picture behind his back.

"Nothing? Nothing tra, la, la? You wouldn't be lying to me now would you Hogsbreath?" Jareth snatched the item from behind Hoggle's back and looked at it. Conjuring a crystal, he pressed it to the paper and the blood glided off the paper, revealing a pristine picture. Jareth sucked in a quick breath when he saw who was in the picture. A young, beautiful young woman of about twenty stood behind a little boy. The woman had brown, almost black hair, the most beautiful green eyes Jareth had ever seen, and red full lips set in an oval face that only accentuated those features. The boy looked about four or five with light brown hair. The thing that caught his attention was that they were two different shades of green; the left a bright, almost glowing, emerald and the right was a deep earthy green. Jareth would know that woman anywhere, no matter how many years passed. _Sarah_.

"Where did you find this Hoggle?" he said in a strained voice.

"I, uh, it, uh, f-fell out of, Jaden's pocket" Hoggle admitted reluctantly. He was afraid of what the Goblin King would do when he realized who Jaden was. _But then_, he thought, _he should know_. _Besides, he'll figure it out on his own anyway._

"Jaden is Sarah's son!"


	9. Chapter 8

Heaven wasn't supposed to hurt was it? That was the first thing to cross Jaden's mind when he started to come to. With his luck he was probably in hell, he figured. Cautiously, he tried to crack one eye open but it was hard. God! He felt like he had been put through a pulverizer he hurt so badly. Finally he was able to get his eyes open, fluttering them against the harsh light that filtered into the room.

He was lying in a large bed with tan and brown covers. The room he was in was enormous compared to what he was used to. There was a fire blazing in a fireplace to his left with two plush chairs and a coffee table in front of it. From there, his eyes made a circle around the room. They landed on a desk, a dresser, an armoire, a table with chairs, and a nightstand with a bowl and pitcher sitting on top. All of which were not his. This was not his room; or a room in the Crawford's house for that matter. Where the Hell was he?

Jaden made to sit up, only to gasp and fall back onto the pillows, gritting his teeth at the pain. That had been a bad idea. Lifting his hand to throw back the covers, he paused as he observed that they shook. Jaden ground his teeth in frustration. He hated feeling weak; he did everything he could to keep from feeling weak. Clenching his fists, he forced his hands to still, and then folded the covers back. He was naked save for some bandages around his torso, thighs, and arms – blood staining the white fabric –and a brace on his left leg. Where the hell were his cloths!

Slowly, so as not to jostle any of his injuries any further, he swung his feet off the bed as he sat up. He hissed at the white hot flash of pain that started at his feet and worked its way up to his brain. Jaden squeezed his eyes shut and ground his teeth to keep from crying. After a few slow, careful breaths he reached back behind him and pulled the sheet off the bed wrapping it around his waist. Standing, he looked around again until his eyes fell on the door. _If I want my cloths back I better find them_, he thought. Cautiously, Jaden put weight on his injured foot then grimaced when he found he couldn't. In dejection, Jaden sank back down onto the bed, hanging his head. How had this happened? He never let his guard down, never. Yet in the last twenty-four hours he had been ambushed twice from behind. Looking up, he didn't really see what was in front of him, his mind going over the events before this last encounter.

That dwarf; he had said Sarah's name as if he knew her. But the only way that were possible were if she had also been a runner. Jaden's brow furrowed at that thought; his mom running the labyrinth. It was the only way for the dwarf to know his mother's name yet he couldn't imagine his mom doing something like that. She had always told him to be careful of what he wished for because you just might get it. His brows rose as he thought of how she might have learned that lesson. It was entirely possible that Sarah had been here, but then who had she wished away?

Jaden didn't get the chance to contemplate that as the door opened suddenly, a small little rat type creature walking in. The creature gasped when it looked up to see Jaden sitting on the edge of the bed. It dropped the bandages it had been carrying and ran from the room. Jaden cocked a brow at the strange creature, which must be a goblin. A moment later, it returned with a tall man. Jaden tensed on instinct then regretted the action as his muscles voiced their complaints viciously.

The man was tall, with straight, long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He had large pointed ears and wore a white robe over a dark blue tunic. Jaden eyed him suspiciously.

"I see you are feeling well enough to sit up, though I wouldn't advise it just yet," the man commented in a quiet voice that reminded Jaden of a waterfall. The sound almost made Jaden relax; almost.

"Where are my clothes?"

The man walked forward, as if he hadn't heard Jaden and reached to touch his forehead. Jaden growled in warning and the man paused. "I asked where my clothes are."

"They were beyond repair so we disposed of them," the man said, pulling his hand back sharply at the grim look that came over Jaden's face. They did not throw out his leather jacket!

"And my jacket?" he demanded in a quiet, cool voice lased with venom.

"We _were_ able to save that. It is hanging in the armoire." The man contemplated him for a moment before asking, "Are you in pain?"

Jaden said nothing. It went against the grain to admit his pain to someone. He had learned real quick that it was a bad idea to give a person that kind of knowledge.

"You're not going to answer are you?" another long silence, "Well then, why don't you slide back onto the bed and I will check your wounds and change your bandages."

Jaden reluctantly did as he was asked. The man must be the resident doctor because he checked and changed Jaden's injuries like the doctors back home had. Only this time he hadn't woken up with needles sticking out of his arms. As the man finished, giving the used bandages to the little goblin that stayed to help, Jaden finally asked, "Who are you?"

The man paused in washing his hands to look at him, giving a small smile. "My name is Drudwyn and I am the healer of this castle. You are a very lucky young man. Had the guards not brought you here when they did you would be dead now."

"How long have I been out?"

"About four days. I would have had you healed a lot sooner but it turns out that your body is resistant to low level magic. I was able to heal the internal injuries, but the external are going to have to heal on their own…" Jaden had stopped listening. Four days! He had failed. Damn it! Jaden clenched his fists in deject fury.

"The King will wish to speak to you now that you are awake."

Jaden's head snapped up to look at Drudwyn. "What?"

"Yes, he has been most anxious to speak to you. I will go get him for you," Drudwyn said. He was out the door before Jaden could protest. He didn't want to talk to the Goblin King yet. Then again, how else was he going to find out what was to become of him. He didn't even consider that the ogre had not been part of the test. In his mind, he had failed to reach the castle in the allotted time. Sighing, Jaden prepared himself for the confrontation, closing his eyes to wait, only to fall asleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a girl he had never met, with light brown hair and the most beautiful lavender eyes he had ever seen. It was a dream he had been having frequently in the last few months; one he wished he knew the meaning of.


End file.
